


Artless

by Vae



Category: One Direction (Band), Radio 1 RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-23
Updated: 2014-04-23
Packaged: 2018-01-20 13:55:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1512956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vae/pseuds/Vae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick's in Harry's new place in LA. Harry isn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Artless

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for eloiserummaging's [prompt](http://ngrim.livejournal.com/18491.html?thread=469819#t469819) at the Hiatus Fic Meme.

"Bit of a bloody mansion, this place, innit?" Nick crooks his head, trying to keep his phone lodged between his ear and his shoulder as he peers into one of the bathroom cupboards. Should probably get one of those headset thingies, except he never remembers except times like this, and he's always thought that he'd feel like he's working in a call centre if he gets one and his dad would never let him live it down if he started ringing and talking about double glazing or summat.

"Bit." Harry's laugh is rusty through the speaker, not just because it's misaligned with Nick's ear. "You like it, then? It's okay?"

Nick snorts, nearly drops his phone, and stops poking through Harry's ridiculously expensive toiletries. "Okay is not the word for this place. Anyway, doesn't matter if I like it, does it? You bought it, so you're the one that's got to like it."

And that still stings a bit, really. Not that it doesn't make sense, Harry buying a place in LA. Not with all the time he spends out there. Here. It just feels like, well, bit like London's a bit less home to Harry. Bit like England's got a bit less of a hold on Harry, and Nick's not egotistical enough to think he's all of England, but he'd... he'd got hopes. Like friend-type hopes.

Friends-with-benefit-type hopes.

(In his weaker, less realistic, more drunken moments, happy-ever-after-type hopes.)

Harry's still talking, slow drawl half against Nick's neck, and Nick shakes himself, drops his phone, yelps, and scrabbles on the floor to retrieve it, praying that the thing hasn't broken or cracked the screen or anything. "Hello?"

There's silence for a moment, then Harry says "Hello?" in a very careful sounding tone.

"It's lovely," Nick says, awkwardly aware that he sounds deeply unconvincing, but then, what can he say about the vision of luxury that's Harry's new LA place? "Just. 'S not very you, is it?"

"Not yet," Harry admits, and there's a gusty sigh that almost tickles Nick's ear. Would, if Harry was actually there. "Need to go shopping. Get, like, some art."

Nick laughs, because, yeah, that's the first thing Harry thinks of, and rolls over to settle his arse on Harry's stupidly plush bathmat. "Yeah. Go and patronise some local artist and horrify her pretentious friends by being all pop culture at her."

"I want to find some craftspeople," Harry says, because of course he does. "A potter or something. Are they called potters? People who make plates and mugs and stuff."

"You mean you're not gonna go antiquing?" Nick teases, and firmly ignores what isn't at all a pang at that thought. Harry out at a Sunday market somewhere, picking through someone's old junk, effortlessly charming everyone in his path. "Farmer's markets and all that?"

"I don't think you get antiques at farmer's markets, Grim." Harry sounds like he's considering it, though. "Maybe some of the farmers."

"Yeah." Nick leans his head back against the side of the bathtub, and closes his eyes. "What time's it there?"

There's a pause, a very faint bark, and Harry's laugh. "Time to take Puppy out again, she says. Collette's got her tomorrow. Look, um, I thought, if you're not gonna be busy with Coachella stuff, I could, like, come out for a couple of days?"

Possibly Nick's heart actually turns over in his chest. It's definitely beating faster. Maybe trying to escape. "Haven't you got this big popstar boyband world tour starting in a few weeks?"

"That's not now," Harry points out. There are soft, familiar background noises, the jingling of Puppy's leash and the distant scrabble of claws on his hall floor. "And if I'm only there for a couple of days, I won't get jetlag 'cause it's not long enough to adjust to the timezones."

It's tempting. It's so tempting that it aches, and that's definitely not just jetlag having a go at Nick. "Not sure that's wise, Haz."

"Yeah," Harry says quietly, then, "thing is, not sure I care."

Nick's life is about to get seventeen times more complicated. "Then come," he says.


End file.
